Something to think about if you are looking into getting a DTG printer

[binki]

For the epson based printers. Epson has gotten real crappy about letting parts out for these printers. The print heads for the 2200 went from around $200 to nearly $500 and then you had to have a printer serial number to get one.

Now it looks like they have pulled the plug and you can't get them at all. I am working with some of my local sources to see if any are available at all.

I did find some sources in China that look like they may be knocking them off.

So, if you are looking at investing in one of these machines it might be a good consideration to avoid the epson based machines until this problem is worked out. Not being able to get consumable parts like print heads just turns the printer into a big doorstop.

 

[CS-SignSupply-TT]

You will not be disappointed in the products and services these folks offer http://www.screenprintsupply.com/ I talked to the owner's son extensively at NBM Indy this year. Their foundation is customer service!

 

[signage]

Binki the reason fot the price jump on the 2200 is because they are fazzing them out. they are over 5 years old!

 

[binki]

I spoke with a couple of our vendors for parts today and found out that yes, the parts are more expensive but that epson is choking off the aftermarket sales as well. We have a local authorized epson repair shop and they will install a print head that they supply but I can't just buy it from them. So the parts are available, just not to be shipped to an end user of them.

Now I know the 2200 is 5 years old but we have a lot of equipment that has a much longer lifespan. We expect commercial equipment to last much longer than 5 years. I started my work in a print shop and we had tab card presses that were older than dirt and were still running. We are not talking about a $200 printer, we are talking about over $10K here plus all the mods I have made plus the annual maintenace so we are somewhere north of $20K on the equipment side of things over its lifespan for hardware alone. Certainly one of the more labor/parts intesive machines we have.

The larger point I am making is purchasing a commercial machine that relies on a kit-bash for its origin has become more risky as the original manufacturer has figured out those print heads are like gold and has both priced them as such and, at the same time, restricted the flow of those parts.

Just another thing to consider when looking at one of these things.

 

[signage]

Binki the other machines you are talking about are made strictly for the commercial printing industries from the ground up. Now your DTG printer is a modified desk top printer, two completely different manufacturing processes. I was told two years ago that Epson was phasing out the 2200 part manufacturing. Parts may be available but they are no longer being made! Because of this the ones left are demanding premium prices, and also Epson is trying support their customers for the printers being used as they designed them and supported them. One question I have for you, I know I and many others did the same, why did you buy your parts from an Epson printer supply house rather than the maker/supplier for your particular DTG printer?

I know it was price and Epson realized that they were loosing money by us doing that, the reason they are loosing money by us buying from these suppliers is because they are not selling any ink which is another revenue stream for them. They were selling the print heads to the DTG suppliers at a higher price than the Epson repair side!

 

[DazzaBling]

Binki the reason fot the price jump on the 2200 is because they are fazzing them out. they are over 5 years old!

they are more than 5 years old, the 2200 was discontinued but Epson will keep parts and make parts for up 10 years after the machine has been discontinued. Epson extended this deadline twice because of the high demand.

Finding a used Epson 2200 is your best bet for parts. (expect for the capping station unless its still moist) but a dried up one is hard to bring back to life.